SOC 100: Introduction to Sociology

Critical Thinking Assignment 3

“Race as a Social Construction: Critical Analysis of Racism: A History (Part I)”

Watch the film Racism: A History (Part I) and take notes:http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/racism-history/

Once you have watched the film write a 2-3 page critical analysis of the film using the following questions to discuss race as a social construct and the impact of colonialism on our concepts of race.  Be sure to refer to the course materials and readings to support your discussion and reactions to the discussion questions.

Discussion Questions:

What is colonialism?  When did it start (approximately)?  How long did it last (approx..)?

What is capitalism?  How is it connected to colonialism?  How are both connected to early U.S. history?

How and why was “raceinvented”? Who/What was in a position to define or “invent” race?

What was the ideology behind race during colonial expansion?How were groups defined according to the idea of race?  How did the definition of race as a category impact the status of groups during colonialism?  Who was in the position to define racial categories?

What was the role of “media” in terms of literature, theater, scholarship, etc. in defining and teaching about race?  What was the role of science and academia?  Religion?

What was the function or the role of race during colonization? Why was race important to colonial expansion and whether it continued?

How was wealth accumulated during colonialism?  What was valuable?  How was it obtained? 

How did your status (group membership) in a social category define your access to resources such as wealth, land, etc?  Which social categories were important in defining access to status and resources during colonialism?

When did colonialism end?  Are there still effects from it today?  How does it relate to the concepts of globalization and neo-imperialism

Include any other concept, bit of information and/or example that you remember the most from these materials or connections between the movie and the readings you would like to include